1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to alarm systems and methods, and in particular relates to such systems and methods which are designed to provide a response back into the area wherein the alarm condition exists, either sequentially on a priority basis or simultaneously, and to further provide persons within that area with an indication of an appropriate evacuation route; and to thereafter provide and notify a central facility as to an appropriate response to the emergency condition.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various systems have been devised in the past for providing an indication of an alarm condition, e.g. fire or smoke, in remote areas within the same building or complex. Generally, the purpose of these prior art systems is to advise a central facility that an alarm condition exists, in order that appropriate steps can be taken. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,823,391 to Worsley et al, which discloses a system for monitoring remotely related buildings. Other such arrangements are disclosed in one or more of the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,623,087 to Gallichotte; 3,305,850 to Suozzo et al; 3,312,965 to Ward; 3,707,708 to Dan; 2,942,245 to Wooten.
In U.S, Pat. No. 3,854,127, Damon discloses an arrangement for providing an automatic ring back to the sensed location after the sensed condition is received at a central facility. In. U.S. Pat. No. 3,801,971, Stendig et al disclose an arrangement for utilizing a telephone circuit to respond to an alarm condition in a particular area, in order to send an appropriate alarm signal to a remote facility.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,582,949, to Forst, there is disclosed an audio visual enunciator with priority ranking for each condition. As disclosed, a logic circuit assigns a priority ranking to a plurality of sequentially or simultaneously occurring inputs, and provides a response dictated by the highest priority condition.
While the alarm systems described above provide an indication to persons located in a remote area, such prior art systems have generally not been concerned with providing feedback to persons located within the alarm area on a priority basis, or with providing an indication as to the best evacuation route from the area in which the emergency condition exists.